2017 ALL-PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE TEAM REVEALED

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                                                      

August 28, 2017                                                                             

2017 ALL-PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE TEAM REVEALED

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Pacific Coast League unveiled its 12-man end-of-season All-Star team on Monday. The players, elected by the league’s field managers, media representatives and broadcasters, are highlighted by Las Vegas’ Amed Rosario, Round Rock’s Willie Calhounand Fresno’s Derek Fisher, all of whom are on the Baseball America Midseason Top 100 list. Those players, along with four others, also participated in this season’s Triple-A All-Star Game. The roster has a collective age under 25-years-old, with players from nine different teams represented.

Professional baseball’s top RBI producer, Reno’s Christian Walker, headlines the infield.  The first-year Diamondback farmhand has had a career year, ranking among the PCL’s offensive leaders in numerous categories, including pacing the circuit in extra-base hits, total bases and runs scored. Round Rock’s Calhoun, the second baseman who started the year with Oklahoma City (L.A. Dodgers) before being acquired by the Rangers organization on July 31, is one of only five players to have mashed at least 29 home runs. Rosario, the team’s shortstop, dazzled with defense and collected 129 hits in 94 games before getting promoted to the Mets. Third baseman Patrick Wisdom has been a key cog for playoff-bound Memphis, leading the club with 29 home runs and 84 RBI. 

Iowa’s Victor Caratini and Nashville’s Renato Nunez are the team’s catcher and designated hitter. Caratini leads all catchers in the league in various offensive statistics, including hits, doubles and RBI. Nunez, who was the PCL’s 2017 All-Star Game MVP, has hit 32 home runs, a total matched only by Walker.

The outfield is comprised of Fisher, Oswaldo Arcia (Reno) and Mike Tauchman (Albuquerque). Fisher slugged .583 en route to a 21-homer, 66-RBI season for the Grizzlies prior to his MLB call-up. Arcia, a major contributor to the PCL’s most prolific offense, is the only player in the league with an OPS over 1.000. Tauchman is competing for a batting title, having hit .328 in 107 games this season.

Oklahoma City’s Wilmer Font, having a breakthrough year in his 10^th professional campaign, is the team’s right-handed starter. The 27-year-old leads all PCL pitchers in ERA, strikeouts, WHIP and batting average against. Ryan Carpenter (Albuquerque) is the southpaw starter. The left-hander, in his second full season with the Isotopes, is third in the league in strikeouts-per-nine innings and fewest walks-per-nine innings. Carpenter’s former teammate, Matt Carasiti (Iowa), rounds out the pitching staff as the reliever. Carasiti started the year in the Rockies organization before getting traded to the Cubs. The 26-year-old has bested PCL pitchers with 20 saves this season.